Launch of OCARA, the benchmark method for analyzing corporate climate resilience

The climates we know are changing: the intensity of floods and the frequency of wildfires and heat waves are increasing, and rainfall and drought cycles are becoming more erratic. This is, in fact, one of the key messages of the latest IPCC report: every continent is experiencing the impacts of climate change on its economy and society.

No matter how hard we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (and we will need to), climate change will continue over the coming decades. Our companies must therefore anticipate the impacts and ensure they are prepared to weather these new climate shocks.

Given the lack of standards for analyzing these risks, Carbone 4 proposed launching the OCARA project.

Developed in partnership with ADEME, HDI Global France, Bureau Veritas, and the Grand Est Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), OCARA is the first framework for analyzing business resilience to climate change.

With universal applicability, based on a holistic view of potential impacts on value chains, and designed for operational use with a process-based approach, OCARA provides a method and a tool for conducting a climate resilience assessment and launching an adaptation process. Furthermore, OCARA is consistent with ISO standards for adaptation and reporting frameworks such as the TCFD.

Like the Bilan Carbone method, which Carbone 4 helped develop, the OCARA method is intended to be used directly by companies and refined as experience is gained and knowledge deepens.

To help promote its adoption, the method and tool are available for free download, and a training program has been established.

According to Jean-Marc Jancovici, founding partner of Carbone 4: “This is a significant step forward in helping companies identify the early signs of climate change: this framework is key to assessing and understanding risks and planning resilience measures.”

According to Fabrice Boissier, Deputy Director General of ADEME: “ 2021–2030: a decade to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, prevent runaway climate change, and adapt our organizations to the changes already underway! “OCARA is a practical and operational tool that companies can rely on to develop an adaptation strategy.”

 According to Florence Louppe, CEO of the high-risk insurance company HDI Global: “This innovative method will help us complete our clients’ risk assessments. By better analyzing their exposure to climate change, we will be able to provide more targeted support in risk prevention and be more effective in our ability to insure them against these new challenges.”

“We are very proud to be part of the OCARA project. This partnership with Carbone 4 strengthens our expertise in risk analysis and technical assistance for corporate climate resilience. Together, our goal is to offer our clients support along both possible paths of action—mitigation and adaptation—to address climate change.” explains Farida MAIBECHE-CAPERON, CEO of Bureau Veritas Solutions.

Gilbert Stimpflin, President of the Grand EST Chamber of Commerce and Industry: “ "The OCARA tool serves as a benchmark method to help companies integrate climate risks into their strategy. It offers a real opportunity to anticipate the impacts of climate change on their business and ensure their sustainability and growth in the short, medium, and long term."

Gilles Lix, Siemens: “OCARA has provided us with its innovative approach, using a tool to analyze our resilience to the impacts of climate change across our entire value chain.”

Of course, we were already aware of the impacts of certain climate hazards, such as rising global temperatures or periods of extreme heat and heat waves, but OCARA has shed light on other risks which, through the predictable evolution of these weather hazards provided by OCARA, have allowed us to grasp their true scale.”

Laurent Thiebaut, Head of Health, Safety, Environment, and Energy at Lucart, a pilot company, says: “Implementing the OCARA methodology has allowed us to bring risks to the company’s attention that we were unaware of or thought did not apply to us.”

Train Your Teams in the OCARA Method

Contacts

Project Team:

Violaine Lepousez, Manager at Carbone 4, Head of the Adaptation Division

Violaine.lepousez@carbone4.com ; ocara@carbone4.com

Communication:

Carbon 4: Alexia Soyeux, alexia.soyeux@carbone4.com